A Quilt Finished and Gifted

Our son-in-law Chad has returned home for a month from a USAF assignment overseas. He will have to go back for 6 weeks at the end of the month, but for now we are all enjoying seeing him once again. Especially his wife Emily (Bruce’s daughter) and their three kids - our sweet grandkids Deacon, Abbie and Gunner. Although they were able to FaceTime daily while Chad was gone, there is no substitute for hugs in person!

Bruce and I were thrilled that they came over yesterday, Bruce’s last day home before returning to work today. Tomorrow is Bruce’s birthday - the big 70. Or as he likes to say, his dyslexic 7th birthday. Naturally, my card to him is going to be a “Happy Birthday 7-year old” card, with an “0” added in. He’s got it coming, ya know? hehe

So, I have no pictures of the happy visit. They gave Bruce a birthday present, we gave Chad his 2016 Christmas present (the quilt below). We played with the kids and then went out to dinner. Bruce and Chad had a lot to talk about. Both are/were in counter intelligence in the military with respective secret clearances and both are engineers. In fact, if you think of “Q” in the James Bond movies, that is what Chad does. Naturally, their talk was very general, but they had fun comparing places and equipment (1970’s vs today). And it was fun for us to hear about the lifestyle and foods of the place where Chad is stationed.

Anyway, here is a picture of the quilt that I whipped up in record time. Remember, it was a pre-printed panel from Pattern Jam, although I did get to pick out the fabrics before printing.

Look! We took the picture outside! The quilt finished at 62x75” and was quilted with straight (but squiggly) lines.  Chad loved it, and as they are moving to the greater Denver area later this summer, it will come in handy during the winter months.

This quilt is my third of my Finish-Along Second Quarter Goals. It is #7 on the list.

Wrapping up the Rainbow

As I write this (Friday evening), it’s snowing. Now that is not necessarily unusual here in the Salt Lake Valley at the end of April, but I’m just a bit paranoid; did we miss summer? It’s been raining and slushing all week. I’m sure that if my garden could talk, it would be saying (and here I paraphrase...) "What the Heck?!" The cats have stopped shedding (for now), the furnace is still running, soup is sounding good for dinner, and quilts - well, they always sound good. To console ourselves, we’ve been watching a BBC series on Netflix about the South Pacific. Bonus: it’s narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. (If you don’t know who he is, it’s time to sell that rock you’re living under, LOL).

We have come to the end of our multi-colored/rainbow scraps for the month of April. Our intrepid leader, Angela of So Scrappy, is again hosting another linky lineup of scrappy fabric goodness. It’s so much fun to see what our online quilting friends have been up to!

So this was my creative week. First, I finished up the pastel rainbow baby quilt from my vintage sheet scraps. It finished at 42x42”. It’s hard to get a good picture of a pastel quilt. I quilted it with simple straight line cross hatch. Well, MOSTLY straight lines, hehe. This will be a donation quilt.

Next I took an afternoon to work in some bright, multi-colored cat-themed scraps and quilted up 6 cat quilts (roughly placemat sized) for Best Friends Animal Shelter. The picture includes one I made from the leftover fabric of my bee-themed baby quilt, so there are 7 kitty quilts altogether.  Most of them are from my precious Laurel Burch scraps.

My Flower Market quilt finally came together, and much more easily than I thought it would. The borders worked out perfectly! I actually like the finished quilt.  It measures 61x72”.

Sorry I have to keep taking pictures of finished quilts up on my design board. I`d sure love a sunny day so we could get outside. Anyway, the back is a yummy black print with white and pink flowers and little white polka dots. It is my favorite print of the line. And the binding is a diagonal black and white stripes because Stripes.Are.The.Best.

This is also my Goal #1 for my Finish Along Goals for Second Quarter, list HERE.

Now, let’s take a look at what got done in April in the name of Rainbow Scrap Challenge, shall we?

Surprisingly to me, I completed 72 multi-colored blocks. Of those, 43 went into the Scrap X+plosion quilt (42 on the front and one on the back), then there were 16 quarter log cabins (upper right in collage), and 13 4.5” bowties blocks (center bottom). I also did one rainbow baby quilt, 7 rainbow kitty quilts and 2 rainbow doggie beds. (Had to correct myself there; I first typed doggie bags).  So, it was a very productive month, which proves how crappy our weather has been because everything happened INDOORS.

And finally, I finished the top (only had to trim and add borders) of the Big Game Quilt that I’m making for our DSIL (daughter Emily’s husband) who has returned temporarily from his overseas assignment for the USAF. He has a month leave of absence, during which he is taking a special class and setting up for his new posting and training beginning in July (in nearby Colorado!!) He will go back overseas for about six weeks and then be stateside for good. So, I wanted to give him his Christmas present for 2016 since he was overseas) while he`s here. We’ll finally get to spend some time with the whole sweet family next week!!

This quilt is a printed design panel from Pattern Jam, just like the one I did at Christmas for my other DSIL, only a different color way. This time I was able to pick out the fabrics and colors. The printing has improved dramatically - I can’t believe how crisp and bright the colors are! The two borders were added by me yesterday, and the backing is the same navy blue and green plaid fabric of the outer border. I think even the binding will be the same. That was a great purchase at Connecting Threads for $2.96 per yard.

Not much else is new around here. Bruce may go back to work next week part-time. We’ll see; he will need to pull his nose out of a book long enough to call and arrange it!

Goals for Quarter 2 Finish-Along

It’s time to post and link our list of proposed UFO finishes for the 2nd quarter of the year. I love setting my quarterly goals with the 2017 Finish Along ladies! There is nothing more satisfying than finishing a goal (UFO - unfinished object - sewing or crafting goal) and crossing it off the list. Plus, each finish is an opportunity to be included in fantastic prize drawings. There are no real quilt police making us work on these, just a fun group that lets us set up possible goals - as many or as few as we want.

And now, here are my second quarter goals. I’ve got 7 of them this quarter, just like last quarter. I finished 6 out of 7 last quarter, and am carrying over the Flower Market quilt. So let’s start with that.

1.  Flower Market
EDITED TO ADD:  FINISHED! Blogged about HERE.

All I have left to sew on this one are two borders, but one is a chevron border made of waste HSTs from cutting the main blocks.  Once that’s done, it just needs to be quilted and bound.

2.  Crayon Quilt.

EDITED TO ADD: FINISHED and blogged about HERE.

I have several ongoing Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects, and this Crayon Quilt (Color Me by Emily Herrick) was one I started last year. Because I don’t want to finish all my RSC projects in the same month, I am choosing to finish this one early. Currently I have about 5 blocks (crayons) made and need 6-7 or so more.

3.  Flag Quilt

FINISHED AND BLOGGED ABOUT HERE.

I made one extra block last year as a signature block for a Lori Holt Retreat. And now I have all the pieces cut out for the rest of the quilt It would be great to finish up this patriotic quilt this quarter so I can have it ready to use on the 4th of July!!

4.  Let it Snow

This is a cute pattern by Heather Mulder Peterson. I got it to about the halfway point last Christmas season, but had to put it aside to finish all my Christmas quilting obligations. I would like to finish this early this year, because I have at least one more Christmas quilt I’d like to make later on in the year as well as a tree skirt. (Note: I am still using my first-ever patchwork piece, a red, green and gold patched and yarn-tied tree skirt that I made in 1980. We have used it every single year since then. It has a big red ruffle around it and was vintage two decades ago, LOL!!  I really need a new one).

I will probably add an extra border or two to this, or more trees, as the pattern makes it more of a large wall hanging and I would rather have a quilt.

5.  Farm Girl Quilt.

All the blocks - and then some - are made. Gee, I must have 55 or more twelve-inch blocks. Yes, I’ll probably have to do some streamlining. Maybe make 2 Farm Girl quilts??  They need to be sashed and sewn into a flimsy, then quilted and bound. But the hardest part will be selecting and placing the blocks.

6.  Mad Scraps X+ Quilt.
EDITED TO ADD:  FINISHED!  Blogged about HERE.

I just started this one a couple days ago using my basket of multi-colored scraps. Well, to be honest, I have thrown in a single-colored chunk here and there for variety.  These are 10-inch blocks, and I’m not yet sure if I want 30 blocks (for a 5x6 setting) or 42 blocks (for a 6x7 setting). We’ll see what the scraps have to say about it.

7.  Big Game Quilt.
EDITED TO ADD;  FINISHED! Blogged about HERE.

This is another pattern by Emily Herrick, and the custom top was made for me by Pattern Jam. I did one of these for one of my sons-in-law last Christmas, and the other SIL then wanted one too!  So, this is for Chad, and I will give it to him in June since he was stationed out of the country for last Christmas.

And that is my list. I am continuing to make about 6-7 monthly small kennel quilts (I call them quilt-lets) for the Best Friends no-kill animal shelter here in Salt Lake City. They are for the cats and small dog who are adopted out. The quiltlets are small, ranging from 12x18” up to 20x24”. I think of them as big placemats, LOL! And once the assembly line is set up, I can whip them all out in a matter of a couple hours. Last Monday I delivered 21 quilts that I made in the first quarter, and it made my day!!



PS
For more details on the 2017 Quilt Along, or to see all the lovely projects that others are working on, click on the Finish Along button in my right sidebar or go HERE.

A Rainbow Recap for 2016

I have had such a blast this year participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. If you sew or quilt, you might want to consider joining us in 2017.  It’s run by Angela of So Scrappy, and every Saturday she holds a linky party where we show our progress. Today’s linky party is HERE.

Here’s how the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) works: At the beginning of every month, Angela assigns a new color for us to work with. We dig through our  scrap piles, boxes, bags, drawers, etc. and set to work.  You can pick what you want to create: blocks with a purpose, blocks with a purpose yet undetermined, quilts or anything your heart desires. The best part is that you go at your own pace. There are no minimums or guidelines or accountability. Angela posts a linky party every Saturday morning on her blog, and you can post (or not) as your progress dictates. And you get to visit others’ work, get ideas, make new friends and generally just have fun.

Also, there is an optional quilt-along where a block design is given monthly by Angela (with the finished product being another one of her stunning quilt ideas!). Again, that’s optional.

So, think about it for 2017, mmmmkay?

And since the end of the year is virtually upon us, I figured this is a good time to recap my quilt makes for this year.  Some are Rainbow Scrap quilts (and I will show the flimsies that still need to be quilted too), and some are “other” quilts - mostly gifts. Ready?

RAINBOW QUILTS AND FLIMSIES

First are the three Mama Cat & Kittens quilts I made for my three granddaughters. Each quilt is a litter consisting of a 12” Mama Cat (my pattern, write me if you’d like a copy) surrounded by 12 - 6” kittens. The kitten block is a pattern by Sally T (visit her blog and check it out under her Tutorials tab) and it inspired the whole idea. Thanks, Sally!  These quilts finished at 52x72” each. 

OOPS!! I  just noticed that one of them (on the left) has a 2” white border down the center that the others do not! So, let me correct that to say two of them finished at 52x72” and the third finished at 54x72”. 

And in 2016 I also chose to participate in the RSC Sampler, since I didn’t have the skill set needed to do it in 2015. (Really, I tried and failed miserably). But this year I did it! Thanks, Angela, for great patterns and inspiration. 

RSC Sampler Quilt, 60x72"

The following three Rainbow Scrap projects are still in the FLIMSY (top only) stage except for the one I just basted (see captions)

RAINBOW DRESDENS - still a flimsy

Rainbow Rails (Vintage Sheets) - basted this one on Thursday

Rainbow Improv in Cools

I also have improv blocks in pink, yellow, orange and red that will be pieced into a WARM version of the improv quilt above. The sashing will be white or gray. That will finish up in first quarter 2017.

Finally, I have 90 blocks of 16-patch blocks; colors with black and white measuring 8.5” unfinished.  They will be set 9x10, yielding a quilt 72x80”. Also planned for 1st quarter 2017.

 OTHER QUILTS & WALL HANGINGS

In no particular order, here are the rest of the quilts I finished this year:

Aria Quilt.  October, 86x103"

Seeing Red, February, 58x76"

Valentine Quilt, January, 62x62"

Birds & Bees, April, 56x64"

Magic Carpet, November, 75x89"

Cityscape Wall Hanging, April, 48x54"

Notting Hill Sampler, September. 58x72"

Petals, November, 64x75"

November Rain, December, 67x83"

Cozy Christmas, December, 58x71"

Big Game, December, 62x74"

 Totals were: 15 quilts, 3 flimsies and blocks for 2 more flimsies. Not a bad haul!

This week we attended Bruce’s Christmas Party. He works at The Leonardo, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) museum in Salt Lake. Anyway, they had an Ugly Sweater contest and Bruce won the $200 first prize (hooray!). His sweater? Butt Ugly. We got him an ugly blue thrift store sweater from the ’90’s. Then he set about crafting it to look like it was a Bruce History of 30+ years. We captioned the additions with names and “dates”.  Burnt hole - check (“Great Aunt Mabel, 1986”), Mustard stain - check! Half-smoked doobie - check (it was really just cotton rolled in toilet paper, then burnt), BBQ sauce stain - check! Dead mouse - check (an old cat toy. He wanted the mouse on there because in their Tech Take-apart museum activity, they actually found an old desiccated mouse in a computer last month). Baby poop - check (not real, of course), Chewed gum - check! Cheetos - check! Peanut butter - check! Axle grease - check!  ETC ETC....  Between the way it looked, the IDEA of it, and the smell (axle grease, mustard and BBQ sauce together, ugh!) it was so ugly on so many levels.

Next Saturday I’ll be talking about my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects planned for 2017 - and there are several. After all, scraps come in strips, itty bitty pieces, chunks, etc. So that is how I sorted possibilities, then narrowed down from there. What are you doing next year for RSC, and how did you make your decisions?

Another Week of Sewing and ....

In between everything else, I got rows sewn together this week on a Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt. These are the 8.5” improv blocks that I made all year, and this quilt will include the colors of blue, green, teal and purple. I have an identical quilt planned (but maybe with a white or other color sashing) for the orange, yellow, red and pink blocks. They are a low priority until the Christmas quilts are done (more about that below), but I wanted to show you this for now. The backing will be random FQs in the colors of the quilt. It’ll help me clean out some of my orphaned fabric. It should finish at about 72x72”.

Great news! The living room will be finished up this weekend!  Here is a picture of it after last weekend after the cabinetry and mantel, etc was installed - but before both our cousin/contractor Jeff and my DH Bruce worked on it Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Jeff finished up the crown molding and baseboard trims, caulking, etc. Bruce finished up all the electrical and media wiring. Now the cabinet doors and drawers can go on/in.

This weekend they will add the can lights in the ceiling, mount the door hardware and the TV. And then the big clean-up. The furniture (except the backordered leather couch and ottoman) will arrive on Monday. And work will continue down the hallway and into the back bedroom with the hardwood floors and baseboards, so there will still be some baseboards and boxes of flooring lying around (where the leather couch will eventually go, on the right side of the picture) until it’s all installed.

But at least I will be able to have seating and do some decorating in the living room! I ran around doing errands yesterday, and one stop was JoAnn Fabrics to get some updated floral decorations for my outdoor wreath. Now, if I can just find the heavy duty magnet that attaches it to our steel front door, I’ll be set!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This week I managed to get a lot of basting and quilting done. Cousin Kim came over and we basted the Cozy Christmas quilt and November Rain. I was able to finish quilting the Big Game Quilt (designed by Emily Herrick for Pattern Jam) for my SIL Mike.

The panel was purchased last year, and I added the two borders and the backing. It is quilted with straight lines only to keep the masculine feel. The batting is the same as always - The Warm Co.’s Warm and Plush 100% cotton. I like the little bit of extra loft it gives. (I buy it online from JoAnn by the 25-yard bolt when they have free shipping or a great sale).  Anyway, it measures 62x74”.

And here is Cozy Christmas Quilt finished. This is NOT the official post for this quilt finish; I will do a separate one soon to comply with the Finish Along rules.

All I have left to finish for Christmas gift-giving is the wavy-line quilting (and binding) of November Rain for my son Ryan, and the basting/quilting of Kitty Quilt #3. Should be a easy to finish by next weekend. And that will leave me two weeks to finish up another Rainbow Scrap Quilt (maybe the vintage sheet rainbows?) by year-end. Or maybe the Let it Snow quilt I cut out this week (oops!) (wink) that you can see here on Heather Mulder Peterson’s Pinterest.  I will also be focusing on finishing up the other RSC quilts over December and January, so stay tuned for those.

Linking up to Rainbow Scrap Challenge Scrappy Saturday.